


butterfly effect

by Anonymous



Category: Stray Kids (Band)
Genre: 5+1 Things, Alternate Universe - College/University, Confessions, Confused Lee Minho | Lee Know, Domestic Fluff, Fluff, Fluff and Crack, Han Jisung | Han is a Mess, Kinda, M/M, Seo Changbin is a Good Friend, same with the rest tho
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-13
Updated: 2021-03-13
Packaged: 2021-03-21 03:35:38
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 10,624
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/30015546
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/
Summary: 5 times Jisung (literally) left hints for Minho to decode and the 1 time the latter wasn't oblivious
Relationships: Han Jisung | Han/Lee Minho | Lee Know
Comments: 1
Kudos: 4
Collections: Sweet & Sour Fest





	butterfly effect

**Author's Note:**

> *breathes in* HI
> 
> as usual, i'm still awful at making notes but i want to say THANK !! YOU !! for the mod behind this really cool fest aka [sweet & sour fest!!](https://twitter.com/sweetsourfest)
> 
> i'm sorry for leaving doongie and dori out of this. i assure you that i love them all equally because i am a soondoongdori stan before a human 
> 
> hope you enjoy—[A MOTORCYCLE PASSES BY]

"I can't believe you actually did it."

"Did what?" Minho replied, a yawn escaping his lips almost immediately after replying. "I've barely started dreaming when you ruined my sleep. What the hell are you saying?"

"Oh, is that so? Sorry, hyung." Changbin laughed on the other end of the line, the apology obviously nothing but a mere utterance. Minho could hear the bed creaking slightly in there. He figured Changbin must've sat up. "Should I just call you in the morning?"

"Are you— just say it now, you bastard." Minho whispered-yelled, quiet enough to not wake his cat up, but audible enough for Changbin to hear. As expected, the younger just laughed harder, unfazed of the reaction he received. "Now what the hell are you saying I did?"

"Okay. So, I saw your post, user soonielee98." Changbin mockingly said, accompanied by a soft sound of fingers tapping away on a keyboard. "52 minutes ago, huh? Have you checked any of the answers?"

"Have I wh— _oh._ " Minho zoned out after realizing where the conversation is going. A part of him felt humiliated that Changbin had to see it, but the greater half felt nothing but annoyance. "So you called me at 4 am to tease me." Minho pointed out. "Thanks, Seo Changbin. I really appreciate your lack of empathy and concern for sleep-deprived people."

"Partly? And what's with that fake ass sweet but sarcastic tone?" Changbin laughed upon hearing a groan on the other side. "C'mon. I didn't even know you were sleeping already!" Changbin reasoned out while trying to keep the conversation going. Still in a hazy state, too sleepy to give a snarky remark, Minho let the younger talk. "Besides, your post kinda gained attention.”

"Really now?" Minho accidentally raised his voice, surprised at the information. Only when Soonie stirred awake did he realize how loud he must've been. He snapped out of it and responded with a hushed voice. "But I'm too lazy to switch apps right now, honestly."

"Understandable, it's a Sunday. Just do it in the morning if you want. I doubt you'll be able to digest any of the comments anyway. I can practically feel your sleepiness from here." And Changbin was right, multiple yawns did escape from Minho's mouth in a span of 15 seconds or so. "Now back to my previous topic. I still can't believe you followed Felix's advice. The bad one at that."

"Yeah, me either." Minho furrowed his eyebrows, contemplating whether he should open his laptop or check it out in the morning. Nonetheless, it's still crazy if it did get attention (just like what Changbin had said) because there are more than 700,000 members in that subreddit. "But desperate times call for desperate measures, don't you think?"

_Posted in r/Glitch_in_the_Matrix · 54 mins_

_Random objects keep appearing in my apartment. Has this happened to you?_

_Have you ever had those moments where you find random things in your apartment or place but you know you didn't buy them? Is it a poltergeist doing or am I having memory gaps? Or maybe something else? idk_

_Please share your thoughts and story. I'm lowkey losing my mind. Thanks_

"Are you reading the replies, hyung?"

"I am, yes. Holy fuck, these people are insane. I just can't decide if it's the good type or not." Minho quipped while scrolling through the comments section. A part of him wishes he never did, but obviously, his gossipy nature got ahold of him. After all, it would take awhile before he falls asleep, so might as well just snoop around a little bit. "Huh? Someone here just said I might have a parallel universe portal somewhere in my apartment. Another said aliens must be giving me gif— are there any sane people in the comment section?"

"I told you it was a bad idea. I don't even know how Felix convinced you to do this. His charm must've rubbed off on you. You could've picked other subreddits, though." Changbin snorted, obviously engrossed with this whole ordeal. "Anyway, wait 'til you read the one two comments below that. It's a pretty interesting take, though, if I say so myself."

"Let me see…" Minho trailed off as he scrolled swiftly to get where Changbin was saying. " _You might have been sleeep-buying or something and you were just not aware. There was this one time I apparently went to the nearby convenience store around 2 years ago. And then I woke up with a couple bags of chips lying around and new yogurt drinks in my fridge. It's crazy. Thank god it never happened again."_

"Bin, what the hell? I thought this would help me but I'm just freaking out now." The older instantly reached for Soonie to caress his fur for comfort. The ball of orange and white fur snuggled closer to the source of warmth. Somehow, that anecdote sent chills down Minho's spine. It didn't occur to him that it can happen to someone. "But I mean, there's no way I did that, _right_ ? Like, what kind of convenience store would have pink and brownish crystals?!" Minho massaged his temple while waiting for Changbin's reply. In hindsight, even though he felt like it was utter bull, he gave the comment a thought. There were accounts of him sleep-talking _and_ walking, but he never got too far (at least that's what he knows). _Did he really do that? If yes, how did he make it downstairs without falling to death multiple times?_

"Oh who knows where you wander off when you're sleep-walking— or buyin— You're giving it much thought, don't you?"

"Unfortunately." Minho sighed in defeat. "But this is the internet we're speaking of. I'm not sure if I wanna trust this. They could just be fucking around for upvotes, which really worked for them by the way."

"Look, have you even asked Jisung about this? He loves coming over _a lot_ , right? It could just be him. Or Hyunjin? Or Chan-hyung to some extent." Changbin suggested, but as usual, Minho just sighed.

"God knows how much I did, especially Sungie." There were a few beats of silence on the line as Minho peeked behind his blinds to check if the sun was already up; there was only darkness, although slowly fading. "I bug him often about it but he always says they're not his. He even got very pissed at me when I heavily teased him about it." Minho giggled as he started to recline on his bed, his laptop balanced on his spare pillow. "Hyunjin was very insistent about not owning any of those. As for Mr. Kangaroo, he said none of those are his, too, though he wanted to keep the vanilla scented candle for himself. I just didn't agree."

"Hm, vanilla. _Sexy._ It must be the— _ooh the aliens wanna have some sexy time with you_." Changbin mockingly said in between yawns, exhaustion finally taking over him. 

"Do you wanna join us? Let's have alien babies."

"I don't need to fuck an alien, or you in that matter, just to have an out-of-this-world sexperience, thank you very much. It's a no for me." If Changbin was with Minho, he would've earned a forceful flick on the forehead already. 

"Spare me from the details of what you and Seungmin have been doing lately unless you want me to cut you out of my life."

Changbin cleared his throat. "Anyway, the gifts are nice. You should leave a message written in alien letters somewhere in your doorway or something. I'm sure they would appreciate it."

"Are you done yet?" Minho deadpanned as he shut the laptop down.

"Yeah, I think." Changbin lazily dragged his words. "Good night, hyung. Or morning, whatever. Love you!"

"Okay, Changbinnie."

"No 'good night' or an 'I love you, too'?" The other's voice was already muffled.

"After ruining my night? Don't think you're so lucky." Minho cut the line with a little giggle as he slid under his duvet. When his bedside clock read 5:21 am, he silently summoned sleep to come and knock him out.

  * **_toothbrush_**



The bizarre appearance of random things in his apartment started from a charcoal toothbrush.

And no, it wasn't even in his toothbrush holder (read: an old tumbler) when he saw it— he found it in his cabinet, tucked beside his neatly-folded pile of sweaters.

"I never bought this…" Minho examined the item in his hand, too much for someone who had just walked out fresh from the shower. At first, he thought it was an old one, something the old owner of the apartment forgot to discard. But the thing was the cabinet was completely empty when he moved in and it's _impossible_ that it had always been there when he regularly rearranges his wardrobe.

He continued his staring contest with it, with confusion and curiosity fused into one, until it was abruptly cut off by the sound of his phone going off.

**_from: ㅈㅇ_ **

_psst_

_wru?? the class is about to start in like_

_13 mins_

8:52 am

The messages snapped him back to reality and he couldn't thank Juyeon enough for reminding him about their class. Minho couldn't be any more thankful that the campus is just a 5-minute-walk from his apartment. Just like that, the item became the least of his priority. That didn’t mean he was in the clear though— his towel was still wrapped around his torso. He opted to push all of the stupid questions aside and hastily dressed himself up, the toothbrush long forgotten and back where it used to be.

  * **_a portable French press coffee maker tumbler_**



This time, it wasn't Minho who found it— it was Hyunjin.

"Hyung, where did you buy this?" Hyunjin raised the tumbler at a face level after rummaging through the cupboard for a mug. A little dose of caffeine was what he needed to power through the pile of readings he had been putting off since the week prior. "I always wanted to get one."

Hyunjin and Jisung, both two year levels below him, came over for the evening to study together. They don't even share the same subjects (well, except Jisung and Hyunjin who attend their general classes together), yet Hyunjin insisted on coming over. 

_("Hyung, your apartment is very neat. I feel so constrained in my and Jisung's dorm. So, if you don't want us to fail, let us have a decent study environment.")_

Jisung need not to be said— the apartment became his second home practically since he and Minho got together a year back. Luckily for them actually, their study sessions are (for the most part) really productive. They may not act their age on most occasions, but when it’s time to get down to business, they really put their mind to it.

"I don't know. I didn't buy that." Minho looked up from his notes, glasses perched on the bridge of his nose.

"Then... Jisung?"

"I didn't either." Jisung shrugged before stretching his limbs to release tension. When he got into the "study mood" half an hour ago, he barely moved an inch. For a moment, his eyes flitted to Minho and then back to Hyunjin standing with his one hand on his waist.

"Then wh— Chan-hyung? He comes over a lot, doesn't he?"

"He hasn't in a while since midterms season." Minho furrowed his eyebrows. "And if he did, it can't be his because he doesn't drink coffee."

"Right…" Hyunjin looked around, trying to find coffee grounds in the kitchen. "If it's neither yours nor Jisung's then I'm calling ownership for this tonight."

"Suit yourself then, I guess. It's just weird because I haven't seen that before and I _live_ here." Minho mused to himself, but Jisung's ears were quick and close enough to pick it up.

"Maybe you just forgot you purchased it.” Jisung offered but Minho wasn’t buying it. “Or maybe, you forgot someone came over recently, too. Not us, of course.”

Minho tapped his pen against the wooden table, trying to think if he ever invited some "guests" (read: friends) over. In the past weeks, all who had made themselves welcome in his place were Jisung, Hyunjin, and— "Well, Jeongin did come last week to ask something about Anatomy. How could I forget?”

"Forgetful hag." Jisung shook his head in a slow, animated manner. "Go ask him. I'm pretty sure he's still up doing whatever knows what. Hopefully, studying." Jisung giggled before resuming to write on his A4 ruled notebook.

Minho unlocked his phone and decided to send a quick message. It's the second time this has happened and quite frankly, it was puzzling on his part especially since this time, it was something a little expensive.

**_to: 아기빵_ **

_hey innie, i think you left your coffee tumbler or something here_

9:22 pm

**_from: 아기빵_ **

_rly?? is it the navy blue one or the mint green one??_

9:22 pm

Minho breathed out— so the item is possibly Jeongin's, no biggie. He called Hyunjin’s attention. "Oi, Hyunnie, may I see the tumbler? What's it's color?"

"Hm," Hyunjin moved to the side to show Minho the coffee maker on the countertop. "It's beige and it's not just a tumbler— it's a portable French press coffee maker.

"It's whatever the easiest name I'd call it." Minho replied while rolling his eyes. Hyunjin did the same— he knew the older's words had no bite in it anyway. Jisung snorted at that and Hyunjin couldn't hold back his own laughter either. He looked at Jisung with a questioning look before shrugging. The detail didn’t go unnoticed to Minho. "You know what? I'm starting to think that you guys are fucking with me."

"If you phrase it like that, Jisung might call it quits." Hyunjin replied, his voice not quieting down. 

Jisung pipped in. "You can have him."

"See why I like hanging out with Jeongin more?" Minho unlocked his phone to send a reply.

**_to: 아기빵_ **

_it's beige?? and hyun said it's a french coffee press coffee maker tumbler or whatever_

_are u sure this isn't yours??_

9:27 pm

**_from: 아기빵_ **

_a what??_

_and no, hyung. i only have two tumblers^^_

9:29 pm

**_to: 아기빵_ **

_alrighttttt thanks innie_

9:29 pm

“Now, honestly. Who between the two of you owns _that_? It can’t be that it’s mine nor anyone else's, you sneaky bitches.”

“I told you, it’s not me. I’m still saving up for one.” Hyunjin walked towards the study-slash-dining table, the steaming tumbler in his hand. “I’m a broke sophomore, you know.”

“Can’t be me, either. You know my purchases.” Jisung nonchalantly replied, his eyes still trained on the papers in front of him.

“Just because I’m letting you both off the hook right now, doesn’t mean I won’t keep my eyes on you two.” The so-called "freedom from one's confusion" was short-lived and somehow, the thought started perplexing Minho to an extent. 

Jisung must’ve sensed it so he reached out for Minho's hand, covered by the sleeve of his cardigan, and gave it a gentle squeeze. "Let's just study."

Minho had no choice but to shift his focus back to the _more_ important thing. At least that tumbler might come in handy for him in the near future. There's no need to let himself be distracted from studying.

  * **_a pair of Pororo socks_**



Minho thought that the entity (or whoever was) playing tricks on him got too entertained with how he reacted recently. Just before he could even ask around about the coffee maker, another item popped out of nowhere a week after.

"Sungie, you dumbass. I think you forgot your socks." Minho yelled from the bedroom, hoping Jisung still hadn't left (even though he was actually running late for his Applied Anthropology class).

"The fuck are you calling me a dumbass for?" Jisung peered from the doorframe, his brown messenger bag slung on his shoulder already. "I'm already wearing my socks. See?" He raised his foot a little and pulled down the tongue logo of his Run Star Hike shoe— a white ankle sock.

"Doesn't mean these aren't yours." Minho plopped down on his bed, his palms pressed against his face. “Is someone breaking in then?" Minho raised his eyebrows, while Jisung tried to stifle a laugh. "Oi, don’t shit on me. You sometimes leave your clothes here. My cabinet even has your pajama set.”

"Chill! It must be a gremlin, no biggie." Jisung giggled as he sat down at the edge of the bed. 

Minho just raised his eyebrow to threaten, except that until he let go of the Pororo socks on his hand, he wouldn't be anywhere near intimidating. "Yeah, a gremlin who looks like yo—"

"What the fuck, these are really cute!" Jisung finally caught a glimpse of the item and snatched them from the older's hand. "Where did you get these?"

"Right?" Minho answered sluggishly. "Oh, I don't know? Maybe I'm waiting for you to admit that you own it?" Minho lightly pressed.

"Pfft, I wish." Jisung rolled his eyes. He placed his bag on the floor and lied down, feet dangling on the side of the bed, careful not to dirty the sheets with the soles of his shoes. The sun filtered its way in through the open spaces of the gray blinds, flushing their cheeks due to the slight heat on a Friday afternoon. "Shouldn't you be leaving for Vet Pathology already?"

"I have 20 more minutes to spare." Minho raised his arms in the air, almost at a right angle, and then dropped it abruptly above Jisung's stomach, causing the younger to yelp in discomfort. 

"What the hell is wrong with you?" Jisung screamed as he turned to the other side. Minho took this as a chance to drape his arms over Jisung's waist and be the big spoon of their impromptu cuddle session. But then again, it's their nature to do so every time they're an arm span away from each other. They barely ever asked; they just initiate.

"I should be the one reprimanding you for being late."

"How am I gonna leave if you're…" Jisung tried to pry Minho's hand off him, but it was useless. To be fair, Jisung didn't really put up a fight— partly because it's useless but mostly because he's a sucker for any form of physical touch. The older wrapped himself further around Jisung, one leg restraining him from standing up. His body was gently pressed against his back, perfectly lining up with Jisung's spine, while breathing in sync. "Fine. Let's stay like this."

"Ha, no!" Minho quickly detached himself from Jisung and, without any warning, pushed him off the comfort of the older's bed. Of course, Jisung should have seen this coming, given the unpredictability of Minho. "Get that degree and listen to your boring lectures."

"Whatever. I hope those Pororo socks haunt you even in your sleep." Jisung stuck his tongue out before heading towards the door, hair slightly disheveled. "For the meantime," Jisung threw the socks towards Minho. "keep these here. I might use it in the future."

"So it's yours?"

"It told you it's not!" Jisung huffed, wanting the conversation about this to and already. "Bye, baby. Love you!"

"Loathe you, too!"

And in a few moments, the main door clicked shut, leaving Minho in his own little bubble.

  * **_scented candles_**



Every first Sunday of the month is Minho's designated "general cleaning" day. In his entire stay in this apartment (count 2 years since before this, he shared a dorm with Changbin for _also_ 2 years), he only broke this personal ritual of his a total of five times. He's not technically a clean-freak— he can live with some scatter here and there— but rearranging decorations, dusting off every corner, and all that other stuff are therapeutic to him. Something about changing the atmosphere in which he's confined in generates a sense of control, which is exactly what he needs especially after a hectic term. 

Before he cleans, he usually sets the mood up by blasting K-R&B songs, sometimes 2000s hiphop songs, ballads, and K-Drama OSTs too. After that, he clips his bangs away from his field of vision, making it look like he has twin sprouts coming out of his head. He also assembles Soonie's tent in his bedroom so he could (hopefully) be occupied enough and avoid making a ruckus— food, water, and cat litter nearby and ready.

Part of the routine is lighting a scented candle up to feel invigorated— a habit he got from Changbin that he cannot remove from his system anymore.

Minho crouched down to pull a collapsible container underneath his ladder shelf at the corner of his living room. There he stores some of his "most important miscellaneous items", the shot glass-sized fragrant waxes being one of them. It's not a grandiose collection. In fact, it was a _very humble_ one considering that there are still rooms for more candles in the container (unlike Changbin's in his new place). He was fine with it, though. One, he's not a candle addict and two, he only needs one candle per month.

And that's when it hit him— it was already March yet there were still an even number of candles in his organizer. "One, two, three, fo— hm— it's really ten." Minho tilted his head to the side, trying to recall if there was even a time that he purchased a new one before he ran out of them. Or he got a gift from a friend. Or he forgot to light one. Or he— he gave up thinking. A chill ran down his spine. He only buys lavender, rosemary, and jasmine candles. But the extra? It's a cinnamon vanilla.

"Alright. To whoever keeps giving me excess things, thank you, I guess." He pulled the off-white candle out of his collection and flamed the wick with a shrug. He wanted to know how good it would smell (and if the entity or whatever has a good taste).

Somehow, although Minho had grown used to the tendency of a random object he _doesn't_ own appearing in his apartment, he couldn't shake the feeling of peculiarity of everything. The thing, however, is that he had to be rational— he must be a pawn of a longstanding prank among their friend group— yeah, that could be it. This wasn't the first time, anyway. Before, they pulled a prank on Hyunjin, just very different from his (if Minho's actually being pranked, that is).

"Wait a damn second." Minho mused to himself while removing the Shin-Chan tapestry (the one gifted by Changbin as a joke but he still hung it anyway) behind his couch an hour after he started cleaning. It was so sudden but nonetheless, an "important" piece of evidence about the "mysteries" occurring in his place. He folded it neatly before chucking it to the side. As if on cue, Soonie exited the bedroom and walked towards where his troubled "parent" was. The cat immediately jumped up on his lap, instantly feeling at home. He picked at the loose thread hanging from the plain yellow shirt Minho was wearing, contentment in his glassy eyes evident. Minho stroked Soonie's ginger fur. "I think I've narrowed it down." He paused to look at his cat, waiting for a go signal for him to continue as if he could answer back. It was silly, indeed, yet talking to a cat is the greatest option a good chunk of times. "Only Hyunjin, Jisung, Felix, and Changbin know that I like scented candles, right?" He spaced out on the tapestry on the floor, Shin-Chan's disfigured eyes boring on his. "But I think I can remove Hyunjin from that because he's allergic to vanilla?" Minho paused yet again when Soonie gave him a seemingly judging stare before yawning. "Hey, don't look at me like that. I don't think I connected shit either but he seems innocent. Plus, he can't lie to save his life. I think I'll spare him."

Soonie purred lazily as he wagged his tail in a steady rhythmic pattern, almost matching the pitter-patter of the raindrops outside that Minho didn't notice until then. "I hope that means you agree." Soonie meowed in a low tone and Minho thought that if his cat could speak, he would've been called deranged by now.

  * **_rose quartz and citrine crystals_**



"Hey, look what Felix got me." Chan pulled out a pocket-sized black sheer organza bag. He waved it in front of Minho's face with a lopsided grin. For someone who's surrounded by a sea of crestfallen faces in the university cafeteria, he looked too enthusiastic, lovesick even. "Aren't they pretty?"

Minho leaned closer to scrutinize its contents better. Chan must've gotten the signal since he handed it to Minho without a second thought. "Go ahead, take it out."

Minho did just what he was told and _not gonna lie_ , they are _really_ pretty— the first one looked reddish with specks of white while the other one somehow looked the same, except in pale pink— but he couldn't understand why Chan was ecstatic about it. "What's up with crystals?"

"Oh, well. Why did I expect you to know." Chan slightly slumped on his seat, ready to explain. "Those aren't just crystals. They're rose quartz and rhodonite."

"And?"

Chan took a long, deep breath. "Okay, let's just make it simple because I'm already hungry." Minho chuckled while placing the crystals back to its bag. "So, the pinkish one here is associated with unconditional love with no limits."

Minho's mouth went agape. "Oh shit. Does that mean…"

Chan nodded his head.

"Finally! My prayers have been answered." Minho triumphantly raised his fist to the air, not caring whether he'd look stupid to the student body. "I hate to see you both pining and shit. I'm relieved it's over."

"Whatever." Chan mumbled. "And then, the red one here—"

"Just like your cheeks?" Minho teasingly pointed out, making Chan conscious to hide his face with his hoodie for a split second.

"Shut up. Okay, the red one _aka_ rhodonite symbolizes many things, technically, but it's also associated with courage and helping you find your long-term partner and all that stuff."

Minho nodded his head slowly while processing things. "I didn't expect Felix to be that type of cheesy."

"I was _a tiny bit_ surprised myself." Chan chuckled. "But let's just talk about it later after class hours. Breaktime is almost over, you fool."

"Was I the one who went lovey-dovey-embarrassing during lunch hour?"

"Hush. Eat." Chan shoved a piece of bread on Minho's mouth, making the younger shut up.

That same day, when Minho had finally made it home, he saw Soonie preoccupied with something upon closing the door behind him. "Hi, baby. What are you doing?"

Minho jogged towards his fur baby after kicking his shoes off. "Why are you so busy— _huh_ ?" He snatched the item from Soonie's claws with a confounded expression. _A black sheer organza bag_ similar to Chan's _._ "How?"

He quickly loosened the ties on either side of the bag and carefully placed the crystals on his palm. His face didn't change ever since he saw them for the first time. One of them looks a _lot_ similar to Chan's, _rose quartz_ , but the other one is completely foreign to him. It had a brownish orange color with specks of pale yellow. Soonie just stared at Minho for a few seconds before stalking off.

Minho, on the other hand, pulled out his phone after slumping on the floor, too weak to stand up. _How the hell did those get here?_

**_to: channie hyung_ **

**_hey_ **

**_what do u knw about crystals????_ **

**_can you tell me what this is??????_ **

**_[minho sent a picture]_ **

5:11 pm

**_from: channie hyung_ **

**_you came to the right person_ **

**_OH !!!! that's a citrine_ **

5:13 pm

**_to: channie hyung_ **

**_what does it mean?????_ **

5:13 pm

Minho bit his nails while waiting for a reply.

**_from: channie hyung_ **

**_sorry for making u wait_ **

**_it basically attracts joy, wonder and enthusiasm in all the aspects of your life_ **

**_maybe whoever gave that wants you to de-stress or something hahahaha_ **

5:20 pm

**_to: channie hyung_ **

**_this appearing in my house randomly gave me more stress than happiness. cool_ **

**_thank you hyunggggg_ **

5:20 pm

**_from: channie hyung_ **

**_oh lighten up you_ **

**_always~~_ **

5:21 pm

Minho stared at the wall, no sound coming out of his mouth. He was too shocked to talk or react anymore. He narrowed down his current "culprit list". Firstly, it cannot be Chan. They were together for most of the day. Also, he—

"Oh my God, only Jisung and Felix have a duplicate of my apartment key." With that in mind, he quickly dialed the first "suspect".

"Lix, did you leave some crystals in my place?" Minho went straight to the point.

"I— _what?_ No, I'm still in uni. I'll be here until nighttime. I'll give you one on your birthday if you like." Felix talked hurriedly yet calmly. There's a bit of a commotion in his end of line, probably students moving around here and there.

Minho couldn't help gasping. "By any chance, does Jisung know something about—"

"Sorry, hyung. I gotta go— _yeah,_ for Yuna. Just leave it to Eric for the meantime— sorry, hyung. What were you saying?"

"Oh, nothing important." Minho backtracked. Felix sounded too busy and he would rather let the poor boy focus on his task. Bye, Lixie. Take care."

"Okay, bye! You too~" And the line went off.

There was no particular reason behind Minho calling Felix first before Jisung. If he really would have to ponder about it, the problem may be rooted to him going through the denial stage. "Sungie, what's up?"

"Oh, hi!"

"Have you dropped by my apartment today?"

"Not yet, but later maybe. I'm with my thesis members." Jisung yawns, voice a little bit tired and sleepy.

"Really..." Minho accidentally muttered through the phone. 

"What's that?" Jisung inquired with a tiny laugh.

Minho sighed for the nth time. "Okay, please answer me honestly. Did you leave crystals at my place?"

"Huh? No. I told you I haven't gone there yet."

"Are you sure it's not you? Even if you fail your thesis defense?"

"Yes." Jisung answered firmly, which shocked Minho somehow. "And that's very mean of you. Anyway, let's just talk later. I'm kinda cramming my parts. Bye."

"Bye…"

Honestly, Minho was almost completely convinced that it was Jisung behind the crystal thing. But somehow, there must be something else. And he needs to consult Changbin (or maybe Felix) about it.

\---------

Minho is woken up by a sound of a doorbell being repeatedly pressed. With a slight whine, he stands up and pads his way towards the door. "Sungie?"

"Hey! I told you I'll come over, just not yesterday." He invites himself over before opening his arms wide for the orange, striped cat. "Soonie, I missed you!" 

Said Soonie stares at Jisung and acknowledges him with a nod and wags his tail a few times before walking away. Minho fails to sustain a neutral face. "Was that funny to you, huh?"

Jisung looks around the house. "Since when did you have a vanilla candle?"

"I don't know, do you?" Minho casually answers while carrying Soonie in his arms. "Also, someone gave it to me." It wasn't a complete lie.

"Alright. Nice to know they have a nice taste." Jisung lies down on the couch, providing no space for any other possible occupants. "Did I interrupt your sleep?"

"What do you think?" Minho rolls his eyes, although there is a warm smile on his face. Jisung gives Minho a once-over— wrinkled shirt, bed hair, puffy eyes. 

"Yeah, too bad." Jisung just laughs. "Shall I leave now?"

"God, you and Changbin. Very the same." Minho whines before sitting on Jisung's stomach casually.

"Get off, you bitch!" Jisung pushes the older away successfully, making Minho almost fall flat on his face.

"Unbelievable." Minho stands up before heading towards the bathroom. "I'm just gonna wash my face. Turn on the TV or whatever or help yourself with some food. You basically live here anyway."

"Sure, thanks! I just hope it was official." 

"What official?"

"Nothing." Jisung laughs before closing his eyes. "Take your time."

Minho just hummed in reply. Just like what he had said, Minho washes his face and does his other morning routines which includes brushing his teeth and doing bowel business. While sitting on the toilet, he suddenly has a flashback of what happened before he fell asleep. He opens his phone and checks reddit. Good thing he brings his phone in the bathroom always.

He checks his post in that (cursed?) subreddit and tries to scroll down to look for comments. There is a fairly new one, just posted an hour ago, and it only has two upvotes.

**_aloebreeze • 2 hours ago_ **

_this must be a bummer because it completely defeats the purpose of keeping this subreddit only about "glitches in the matrix" but do you have any partner?? a romantic one?? if yes then please read thru lol_

_four years ago, i also experienced something like this. sometimes, there would be cute things like a random keychain with a quote that is fitting for my situation at the time. others, very trivial things like a toothbrush and a coffee mug. i admit i have people coming over at my house like my best friends and my (now) wife, but every single time i ask them if the items are theirs, they always say they're not. at some point, i even wanted to move out._

Minho snickers— he considered doing that same thing before but only for a few minutes. He continues reading.

_and then, one day, i was scrolling through facebook and saw my coworker share an article that caught my eye. i wish i can link it here but i forgot the title. anyway, it's about the possible meanings behind why your partner leaves items in your house yada yada. it said something about for convenience (which is weird because what's convenient about leaving a keychain or an iron man figurine that i like), for a mark of loyalty etc but there's this one reason that stood out: for leaving clues that you want to move in._

Minho's phone slips from his hands. If not for his fast reflexes, it would've been in pieces on the cold, tiled, bathroom floor. The air in the bathroom suddenly feels cold but he chooses to continue reading.

_all i'm saying is that try to talk about it with your partner. maybe they're just shy. just don't get mad because that was my mistake then. but can you blame me? she scared me with all those stunts!_

_but meh, at least we're married now and living together. it was pretty sick but it worked as you can see."_

A deafening silence envelopes the room (and maybe the whole place because why isn't he hearing anything from the other side of the door?) as he takes everything in. It's only a possibility but out of all the comments, this sounds the most sane. But again, to be fair, it's the only sane comment under his post. He flushes the toilet and cleans up before dialing Changbin's number.

"Binnie!" Minho cautiously whispers-shouts, afraid that Jisung might hear him outside. "Listen. I think I got it down."

"Got what down?" Changbin wails, voice laced with sleep. "Can we talk about it later? I'm still slee—"

" _Listen_." Minho reiterates. "I think Jisung wants to upgrade our relationship _just_ a little bit. I think he wants to move in."

"Huh?!" Changbin replies and even though they can't see each other, Minho can imagine the former's unconvinced face. "Are you delusional?"

"If I am, blame reddit for this, but if I'm not, you're not invited to Soonie's birthday party." Minho hisses, whereas Changbin chuckles. "I saw this reddit _only_ sound comment."

"Continue."

"It was very lengthy but to summarize it, their partner used to leave random things in their place as a clue that she wanted to move in with them but they were just too dense to get the message. If not for the article their coworker shared, they wouldn't have found out about it."

"Oh. Oh my god."

"Yeah, and they're married now but that's beside the point."

"Holy shit, hyung. You got a very loyal fellow over there." There's a sound of a fridge opening on the other end. Changbin downs a glass of water as a pause. "Go talk to him about it now, then."

"I will, I'm planning to." There's nervousness in Minho's tone of voice. "But I don't know how to confront him about it. It's kinda embarrassing, alright? Do you have any tips? Just _anything._ "

"So desperate of my big brain juice, aren't you?" Changbin jokes but he doesn't hear a reply, only a fake gagging sound. "Ah, just be frank with him about it. Ask him if it was really him first, though, and make sure you get a proper answer this time. You know Sungie better. If he won't budge, say something about the article. Or you can talk about the aliens leaving gifts first and try to look for his reaction."

"I hate you." Minho mumbles but to be honest, he feels more relieved than earlier.

"Hate me all you want but I'm telling you— just go for it. Go straight to the point. You're always blunt anyway so it shouldn't be a problem now. I'm sure Jisung will understand. God, have faith in your boyfriend!"

"You speak too much." Minho timidly giggles. He faces the mirror, his heavy breathing fogging up a portion of it. "Alright. Talk to you later then. Thanks, Binnie."

"You're welcome, my dearest Minho-hyung~"

Minho looks at the mirror one last time. He hates how it made him aware that his lips are trembling. Why should he even be _this_ nervous? It's just a simple question or two. It won't even take him ten minutes to say everything—

_An echoing sound of a glass shattering into pieces followed by a "meow"_

The series of sounds startles Minho. He rushes to turn the knob and look for the source of the sound, his previous worry pushed aside. "What happened here?"

In the kitchen is Jisung frantically picking up shards in the colors of white, brown, and yellow. A meter away is Soonie staring at the mess. "Sorry, I broke y-your mug." Jisung sheepishly answers while hurriedly picking up the glasses.

"I'll just get my broom. Don't— _see I told you!_ " Minho cautiously walks towards Jisung, careful to not step on anything. "Are you out of your mind?"

"You worry too much." Jisung rolls his eyes. "It's just a small cut. See? No splinter. Sorry agai— _alright._ "

Minho pulls Jisung towards the sink. He places the younger's finger under the faucet, running water washing away the remnants of blood. "Why are you so clumsy?"

"Why are you mad?" Jisung huffs yet he stays still. The cold water feels cool against his wound.

"I'm not."

"You are."

"You're annoying." Minho replies monotonously before turning off the faucet once there's no bleeding anymore. He reaches for a small cabinet and pulls out a small box full of strips of strawberry bandaids. He dries the finger with tissue before wrapping the cut up with the bandaid. 

Jisung can't wipe the grin off his face. "If your bandaids are always this cute, I'm fine with being wounded up."

"Really?" Minho squeezes Jisung's wounded finger (with control) enough for the younger to have a contorted face.

"What the fuck!" Jisung retracts his hand and nurses the pain away. "I changed my mind."

"That was fast." Minho laughs. He looks for his house slipper before getting the broom and the dustpan. "If your finger wasn't injured, I'd tell you to sweep your mess."

"Oh the perks of being clumsy. Yes, perfect. Clean that shit up!" Jisung casually sits on top of the table while crossing his legs. "Make sure the floor is spotless clean."

"Hm, do you wanna find glasses on your pancake later?" Minho responds with a threatening smile on his face while sweeping the floor. But before that, he urges Soonie to go to the living room so he won't get hurt.

The universe seems to be on Minho's side today and Jisung is quick (still debatable) to realize that. "Ah, I was joking. Let me—"

"Whose mug is this?" Minho inquires while staring at the multicolored broken pieces, pretending he has no clue at all when all signs, from the post to the suddenness of everything, point to one person. "It looks cute."

Jisung's hands feel clammy. He wipes them on the fabric of his black track pants for dear life. He tries his best to look unfazed and he sure hopes it was believable. "Is it not yours because it's a cat mug? I'm sorry again. I got scared of Soonie jumping at the countertop in front of me."

There is a sly smile dancing on Minho's lips that Jisung is too afraid to interpret. Deep down, his gut is telling him something is definitely shifting but he brushes the feeling off. He continues with his facade. "Where did you buy it, by the way? I'll just get you a new one."

"Okay," Minho courtly replies while stifling a laughter. _A mug, huh? Maybe Reddit wasn't wrong._ Truth be told, Minho at first was skeptical of the comment that he got earlier. He thought that it might not be the case for him and he didn't want to overreact. However, something about the situation they are in makes him wanna change his mind. Minho has finally decided to play along with Jisung's game (if he isn't mistaken that it's a game) instead of straight out asking him about _it._ If Changbin hears about this soon, he'll probably talk about principles and stuff again (he's thankful about it, nonetheless). "I don't remember where I got it, but I think you can find one online. Just get two so you have your own, too." 

Jisung nods with calculation, probably not expecting that kind of response. It doesn't go unnoticed under Minho's subtle observing gaze. Not even Jisung's shaky breath. "Got it."

Minho lays out a page from his old readings on the ground and dumps the shards in it. He then carefully wraps them (using another paper) and tosses it inside the trash can. Somehow, the task gave him more time to think about his next reply thoroughly. He may not ask Jisung directly about whether the "mysterious, talk-of-the-friend-group" items are his, but he can be pretty straightforward about the _other_ concern (also known as the probable hidden agenda). "When are you moving in? I'll cook something nice on that day."

" _What?!"_ Jisung whips his head to Minho's direction, unsure if he heard what he said correctly. For a moment, the apartment goes silent— both of them walking on a tightrope. Jisung roams his eyes everywhere but on the other, trying to still his nervous heart.

"Do you wanna do it tomorrow?" Minho eggs on. He sweeps the floor once more just to be sure that he didn't leave any glass dust behind. After that, he calls Soonie over so he can carry him (and for him to be kept grounded).

"W-what are you talking about?" Jisung asks with an awkward laugh and it's a satisfying view for Minho to say the least. There's always a thrill in catching someone off guard.

"You heard me." Minho stares directly at Jisung, determined to put an end to Jisung's silly antics. "What do you think?"

Jisung doesn't answer right away. Instead, his eyebrows knit and unknit themselves, still figuring out if him and Minho are truly on the same page. At last, once he thinks he can talk again, he clarifies. "So, you know?" Jisung fidgets in his seat, head hanging low. Minho tries his best not to ruffle the younger's hair before he hears the proposition from Jisung.

"What exactly do you think I know?" 

"Stop playing around!" Jisung whines as he hides his face using his hands. As expected, Minho laughs it off but it is enough of a confirmation for Jisung that the older _finally_ got the message. 

"Don't act like you didn't do it first! I'm just avenging for myself." Minho argues as he places Soonie on top of the table. "I can't believe you'll even use Soonie as an excuse to your cowardice."

"Motherfucker, he really did scare me! I was looking for a place where I could hide the mug yet I couldn't find a perfect place." Jisung combs through Soonie's fur. "And this guy over here decided to give me a good scare so I dropped it."

"Too bad. If you're not ready for a scare 24/7 courtesy of this baby, then I guess we cannot share this apartmen—"

"I can work around it." Jisung fakes a cough and Minho thinks he needs to prepare for whatever the younger would say. He can already sense the surge of confidence on Jisung's veins once again.

"How about Hyunjin?" Minho pulls a chair to sit on. He inches closer to the table to pet his cat as well. So far, he likes how casual this conversation is going but then again, it's not really unusual of them.

"He'll be fine. We talked about this. Plus, his introverted ass deserves some alone time, too." Jisung says in a hurried manner, as if doing so would make his explanation be more sensible.

"Sungie, you're an introvert, too."

"I know that. Just take my words as it is." Jisung momentarily pauses to clutch his chest, still feeling overwhelmed by the turn of events. "He was the one who gave me _this_ idea."

"Are you being serious?" Okay, _that_ was definitely unexpected. He wouldn't be surprised if Hyunjin was a partner-in-crime, but a mastermind? That was out of the option. "You guys are the bane of my existence. Do you still have something to say?"

Jisung nods his head sheepishly. "Is my extra toothbrush still in your closet?"

Minho bursts out laughing, and although Jisung is unsure if the response he got was a positive one, he joins in. A couple of tears slid down his cheeks. If it was out of embarrassment, happiness, or relief, Jisung couldn't decipher.

"The coffee press. How did it get on my cupboard?" The coffee press was the very first item that drove him insane, yet he was too busy to cater to his feelings a hundred percent at that time.

"Who else can reach the top shelf other than me and you?" Jisung cackles, startling Soonie a bit. Minho's mouth goes agape. He really should've seen it coming.

"First of all, you can't reach that so that leaves just me and Hyunjin." Minho tries his best to make his voice be laced with a little arrogance (albeit in a playful manner), yet he finds the situation too funny to stay "serious". As much as Minho wants to flick Hyunjin and Jisung's respective foreheads, he can't deny that the whole thing was funny. 

"Well, fuck you too." Jisung scoffs then gives more context. "When you went to get something, I asked him to do it on behalf of me because he's taller. He's a great actor, don't you think?"

"Still debatable. I don't wanna flatter his complicit ass."

"Understandable. I wouldn't have praised him about it if he was around, too." Jisung picks Soonie up from the table and the cat gladly obliges. For someone who used to be scared of one, he's doing quite a good job. "Aren't you gonna ask about the Pororo socks?"

"It wasn't that surprising, looking back now. No." Minho deadpans as he looks around the house to think of the other items Jisung left there. Toothbrush? _Check._ Coffee press? _Check._ Pororo socks? _Of course, check._ "The scented candle is from you, for sure."

"Yup."

"Why vanilla?" Minho light-heartedly questions, remembering what Changbin said earlier while they were on a call.

"I know what you're trying to imply, you weirdo. For your information, it's _cinnamon vanilla_." Jisung scowls as a reaction to the other's jab. "I just like the smell, that's all. Unless—" Jisung fakes a cough and Minho just side eyes him. "As I was saying, it relaxes me.

Minho hums as he drops the topic, his eyes landing on another item perched on his tiny wooden round table beside the couch. "And how about those? What's up?"

"Felix." Jisung pins the blame on the freckled man. Felix, the same person who confessed to Chan using the multicolored crystals he ordered online. Jisung doesn't know if he wanna trust his words to elaborate further when he's already burning up due to embarrassment. "H-he told me about crystals and I was sold. I purchased some. Technically, the citrine one is mine. The rose quartz, well, that's a different thing." Jisung shoots a wink. "But if we're gonna live together, what's mine is yours too, baby."

"That was corny. Never do that again." Minho puts up a disgusted front but his beet red ears don't cooperate. Jisung always has this effect on him, even during his cheeky moments. "What the hell? Just how many of you are involved in this?!"

Jisung leans forward to slap Minho's knees while laughing. At any normal circumstances, Minho would've returned that. Right now he just wanna know more. "Just enough of a number to play with your imagination."

Alright, maybe it needs to be returned. "Ah! Okay, don't be too violent. It's just the three of us, I promise!" Jisung kicks Minho's feet as a retaliation. "Originally, it was just me and Hyunjin, but Felix caught wind. It was for the best, though, don't you think?"

"You're too confident for someone who hasn't been given a solid _yes_ yet. Have you even formally asked." Minho shots back as he stands up to get a glass of water. "You want?"

"No, thanks." Jisung extends his hand, palm facing Minho, and then drops it. "Do I really have to ask?"

"After giving me too much inconvenience, it's the least thing you could do. The best thing would be splitting the rent 70-30 with me, except the 30% is mine."

"That's so fucking unfair!" Jisung protests although it's very unlikely that _that_ would happen. Knowing Minho, he would never let himself be the cause of another person's burden. If he's serious about it, though, he's grateful that the owner of the music equipment shop where he works at, located in the heart of the city, pays him very well. "Do I get to at least eat your fancy cuisines everyday?"

"Only if you'll clean the cat litter." Minho returns to his seat with a condescending grin. "Without puking."

"Who do you take me for?" Jisung scoffs. "Deal. Can I move in then?"

"Unfortunately."

"I know I can trust you." Jisung gleefully stands up and wraps his arms around Minho, almost toppling him over at the suddenness. Minho tries to be nonreactive by not returning the hug, but with his face pressed against Jisung's chest, it's very unlikely that the younger won't feel his smile. Honestly, Minho can't remember if he had ever thought of this before— the whole sharing an apartment thing. If he had, it probably was just a fleeting thought. But now that it's finally gonna happen, his heart is hammering against his ribcage. It brings a whole new sense of excitement in his system. Maybe all this time, he just wasn't aware that he wants something like this too.

Minho spending more movie nights with Jisung, tirelessly watching whatever is available while curled up on the couch

Jisung helping Minho in giving Soonie baths, lathering up the cat's body with suds while playing with water

Minho trying to teach Jisung how to cook (and be good at it, for heaven's sake), chaos ensuing everytime that the younger makes an attempt

Jisung breaking out into a song unexpectedly during cleaning days (or expectedly) and Minho joining along while still being careful not to get a noise memo

Minho giving Jisung cuddles more often, the kind that would send the both of them to a serene state, and doing all the other things that are only allowed behind closed doors

Minho gives Jisung a little squeeze before pulling a way to look at him, his eyes now reflecting what he really feels inside. He stands up and pulls Jisung towards the couch, engulfing him into a hug. "It's comfier here." If his words cannot cover for his emotions then maybe his body language will. "I can't believe we'll be able to do this more often. Why didn't I think about this before?"

"Really? Because, I've been wanting to ask you since a few months back." Jisung confesses bashfully. 

Minho scratches his nape in confusion. "Then why did you resort to leaving items at my place as if I would they're yours?"

"Look, I wasn't ready to ask you directly. What if you think it's ridiculous?" Jisung admits, heat pooling on his cheeks even more. "I have already planned the hints that I would drop. The longer I do it, the more obvious the items would be. But of course, you just had to catch me red-handed." The response paints the tip of Minho's ears with a shade of red, something Jisung always wants to see. "Aw look at your ears." Jisung pinches the both of them, regardless of how much the older tries to kick him. "I'm so excited to fluster you every minute of my stay here."

"Try me."

"Cool," Jisung pushes Minho down abruptly, catching the older off guard. However, it's more of a bad thing than a good one. A shy red does appear across Minho's face, but it's due to the sudden contact of his head on the arm rest, making him wince in pain. "Shit, I'm sorry!"

"I'll end your life." An empty threat leaves Minho's lips, along with giggles, as if it was nothing. He pulls Jisung down playfully, wanting to get as close to him as possible. There isn't a bit of a protest on Jisung's behalf— he loves being this close just as much. With Minho's sleepy eyelids obscuring his field of vision, he replied. "Good night."

"It's like 9 am and the sun is shining bright outside in case you have forgotten."

"In case you have forgotten too, you _woke_ me up. Let me sleep." He murmurs as he nuzzles his nose on Jisung's slightly exposed collarbone. The younger hums in delight. "Stay here."

"You're too clingy when you're sleepy. It kinda creeps me out." Jisung replies with his lips touching Minho's temple, his breath fanning over it before giving it a light kiss. "I'm not going anywhere, don't worry."

"Good."

"Because you're so soft and comf—" Jisung's breathing hitches at the lingering contact of Minho's lips against his neck. He can feel his grin on it, possibly since he got the reaction he wanted from him. "Will I be getting more of that?"

"Yes, but not when someone is around." Jisung turns his head to look at Soonie who's _actually_ staring at them. "Wait around five seconds and he'll be at your back." Minho closes his eyes, confident that it'll happen. "One, two, three, fo—"

"Only four seconds, actually." Jisung laughs and Minho can feel the vibration of his body on his. "Oh, Soonie baby." Jisung coos once he felt something fluffy on him. Soonie nudges Jisung before settling to nap. "I can't see him but I hope he looks peaceful."

"Just don't move." Even if Jisung can't properly see it, he can hear the smile on the older's voice.

"For Soonie's good or for your own?" Jisung retorts as he lightly pulls at the strands of Minho's hair, fingers already too familiar with the texture. It’s something the older loves very well.

"For your own because if he falls, I will break your bones." Minho laughs as he traces characters on Jisung's hips. "Guess what I'm gonna write."

"I'm squirmish."

"Deal with it." Minho giggles as he resumes with what he's doing.

"Wa— is that Jureumi?" Jisung tries to peek at his back but Minho abruptly turns Jisung's head away. "Be gentle! Do you want to snap my neck? I don't wanna die this way."

"Too violent. I just wanted to hear a little crack." Minho resumes with his "artwork", filling in the eyes with many scribbles and purposely jabbing his fingers hard on Jisung's waist to tickle the other. Jisung, not knowing how else to stop it, tries to wriggle his way out. "Stop squirm— _fuck!_ "

Giggles erupt from Jisung as they fall down with Minho being crushed under his weight. He quickly rolled to the side to clutch his stomach while staring at Soonie who has successfully jumped away from them seconds before their stupidity bear fruit.

"Was that funny?" Minho asks, although Jisung can see that the corners of Minho's mouth are aching to meet his cheeks.

"Was tickling me funny?" Jisung lets out a hearty laugh as his eyes fall shut. It felt so nice to just kid around like this after finally getting assurance of the _one_ thing he actually wants. If this is the free trial of what every single day with Minho feels like, then he's glad he followed Hyunjin's advice. It's not that they have never fooled around when he comes over, but something about feeling at home in a place you'll finally consider your _home,_ not anymore figuratively, is a brand new breath of contentment.

"Are we just gonna watch Soonie tell us we're stupid using his eyes?" Minho speaks in between breathy laughs, head tilted to see the only mature living thing in this roof better.

"I'm fine with that. We can just sleep on your new carpet." Jisung pats the brown fluffy carpet, sliding his fingers against its fabric, gushing at how soft it is. "When did you get this?"

"Two months ago." Minho rolls his eyes as he remembers the hell he went through while transacting. "But it only came recently. I despise shipping delay."

"It's a great purchase, you gotta admit." Jisung rolls side to side, enjoying how it feels against his skin.

"Do you love this carpet so much that you're acting like you're in a TV commercial?" 

Jisung just nods his head. "I could just pass out here after studying. Also works fine when I'm not and I just want to pass away."

"Too bad I'm assigning you to clean this thing from now on."

"Everything for you, sweetheart." Jisung replies jokingly while caressing the side of Minho's face closest to him, the contact bringing a rush of blood _once again_ to the older's ears. "You really gotta deal with managing your tomato ears."

"Shut the fuck up." Minho murmurs as he pulls Jisung close to him again, back against his chest. "Now guess this one."

"Please, hyung, stop tickling—I L-O— I love you? That's so cheesy." Jisung concludes while slapping the side of Minho's thigh.

Minho raises both of his eyebrows, not that it's available for Jisung to see, given their positions. "Let me finish."

"S-T-Y-O-U-R-P-O-R-O-R-O-S-O-C-K-S. Sty our Pororo socks? What the hell does that— wait, are you for real?" Minho can't hold his laughter back anymore upon hearing the disappointment in Jisung’s voice.

"I'm actually just covering for Soonie. Interrogate him instead."

"I'm tired of the both of you already and it hasn't been a full day." Jisung quips with an exaggerated sigh. 

Minho hums. "See, that's why you shouldn't have wished to move in with me." He winks flippantly before resting his chin on Jisung's shoulder. He wraps his arms lazily around the circumference of his waist. He closes his eyes in content— at the warmth radiating off Jisung, the fragrance of mint body bath on his skin, and the fact that he's spending the morning with the human embodiment of euphoria. "Good night?"

Jisung slowly entangles Minho's arms on him to leave featherlight kisses on Minho's forehead and each eyelid, just grateful to have him in this state. "Are you sure you're fine with sleeping here? Sorry for the chaos earlier. I thought I should just say that."

Minho responds with an affable grin, something about his aura mirroring serenity and bliss. Instead of giving an answer, his free hand (the one that isn't on Jisung's spine yet) found its way on Jisung's nape. He brings his forehead closer to his without a sound coming out of his mouth. Words may not be his strongest suit, but he always finds ways to express his adoration to the soul tied with his.

The thought of spending his waking and sleeping hours with the man he cherishes the most just feels so surreal. In the morning, Minho's first view would be Jisung's peaceful face, soft snores leaving his mouth, eyelids occasionally twitching either due to the glare of the sun or a dream he'll eventually hear once Jisung is awake. At night, his last view would be his deep brown eyes, laced with adoration, until his eyelids give up and call it a night.

In a way, Minho thinks the satisfaction of being almost inseparable with Jisung makes up for all the weird and borderline creepy moments he had to endure just to get here. Even if he could turn back the time, he would not have it any other way. Jisung is satisfied. Hell, even Soonie. So, who is he to not be? If anything, he's over the moon.

After moments of silence, just them relishing each other's presence, Jisung lifted his head up to say something. "I think I haven't told you this yet." Jisung beams while waiting for Minho to open his eyes. "Do you know that Hyunjin and I called this whole thing _Operation: Butterfly Effect_?" Minho furrowed his eyebrows, prompting Jisung to elaborate what he means further. 

“So, Hyunjin and I were in the lecture halls when our professor mentioned it in passing. It piqued my curiosity so we searched up about it. Fast forward to a few days later, I was already growing tired of just making jokes about moving in because your dense ass couldn’t get it.” 

At that, Minho snickers. “It’s not my fault that we often joke around and that you’re a coward, is it?” He ruffles Jisung’s mop of raven hair. The younger just leans into the touch even though there is a mild scowl on his face.

“Whatever, let me continue. One time when we were just staring at the ceilin— I know this is a very random detail but it's important whatsoever—, he suddenly went ' _Hey, do you remember that butterfly effect shit? I have an idea.'_ and then tada! Here we are, cuddling since Soonie occupied the couch and we're too lazy to stand up."

Minho just smiles— he thinks it's the most accurate way to call it: a butterfly effect. Small actions leading to bigger ones. A seemingly trivial detail being a catalyst of something that might change your life's trajectory. A small object bringing him closer to his home made up of elated smiles, spontaneous ideas, boisterous laughter, velvety voice, jovial personality, unending supply of snuggles, and tireless whispers and touches of love.

And so, before he can really fall asleep, he taps Jisung's shoulder gently. With an enamored smile on his face, he gives Jisung a peck on the lips, except it's too charged to even be called one based on the younger's doe eyes displaying astonishment.

"When should I help you pack?"

  
  
  
  
  


**Author's Note:**

> congrats for making it at the end of this _thing_ *wipes sweat*  
> thank you _very_ much for reading!! take care^^~


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